May 19, 2023

Hello Advent Family,

Have you ever thought about succession?  When you are gone who will fulfill the role/s that you have currently?  This is an incredibly important concept in companies and organizations.  It was important to Moses as well.  When he is told by God that he will not lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land Moses asks God to raise up a new leader.  Let’s look at the passage together in Numbers 27. 

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim Range and see the land I have given the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, 14 for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.) 15 Moses said to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community 17 to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” 18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. 20 Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. 21 He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.” 22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.

Moses cares enough about the rebellious people he has been leading to ask God to provide someone to shepherd them.  Some leaders are intimidated by the idea of succession but the best leaders are constantly looking toward it.  Moses is such a leader for the people of Israel.  He wants an opportunity to invest and pour into the next generation of leadership.  This is exactly what Jesus does with His disciples.  Jesus knows that it will be them who build the early church so He spends 3 years investing and pointing into them.  Whatever and wherever God has us we should be doing the same.  Investing and pouring into the next generation is God’s plan of discipleship for His people.  I challenge us all to identify those that we can pour into and mold to be the “next”.  God wants to continue to do great things through the next generation that we pour into.  Who knows you just may find a Joshua.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave


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